


One Hour

by Isotope



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angel!Niall, Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-28
Updated: 2012-12-28
Packaged: 2017-11-22 16:39:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/611937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isotope/pseuds/Isotope
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Niall has one hour to visit Zayn from Heaven.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Hour

**Author's Note:**

> This is inspired by Emily Dickinson, "In this short Life".

_In this short life_

_That only lasts an hour_

_How much or how little_

_Is within our power_

-       _Emily Dickinson_

 

Zayn rolled over in his empty bed when he suddenly felt a body press up against him. He flipped over, scared and worried about who this intruder could be. No one had slept in this bed after Niall.

 

He flipped around and flicked on the light, almost getting a heart attack from the site before him.

 

“Hi Zayn,” The blond boy said, smiling at him. He stretched out his arms and in turn, his wings stretched out too. Zayn just lay there in shock.

 

“N-Niall?” He stammered out reaching forward and cupping the blondes’ face.

 

“Mmm,” The blond hummed before leaning down and giving him a gentle kiss, “We have an hour before I have to go back.”

 

“You have to leave me? Please don’t leave me again.” Zayn begging, grabbing Niall’s side and positioning so that he was on top of Zayn. Niall rested his head on Zayn’s beating chest, closing his eyes and listening to the familiar pattern.

 

“I have too… I don’t have a choice. But we have an hour, Zayn, an hour to ourselves.”

 

“Will you be able to come back?”

 

“I… I don’t know,” He said softly raising his head to meet Zayn’s. His nose twitched and he said, “Let’s make the most of this, yeah?”

 

“Yeah.” Zayn smirked, knowing exactly what Niall was thinking and flipped them over. He kissed him once passionately, before making his way down Niall’s body, grabbing, biting, licking at all the spots which made Niall go absolutely _mad_.

 

+

 

When they were done and buttoning up their shirts, Zayn asked, “How much time left?”

 

“Thirty minutes.” Niall said, sighing as he glanced at the time that was inked into his skin. It moved with every second, every second he was getting closer and closer to going back up to Heaven and leaving Zayn for good.

 

Zayn grabbed him by the hand and took him through the messy apartment.

 

“You should really clean up,” Niall said, “How can you have girls or guys over when you live in a mess?”

 

“I’m not seeing anyone,” Zayn said, going into the kitchen with Niall wrapped around his back, “So there’s no need for me to clean up.”

 

“Zayn,” Niall said, “You have to start getting back out there… it’s been months.”

 

“Exactly,” Zayn said looking hurt, “ _Months Niall months._ I’m not ready to move on.”

 

“You have to be.”

 

“I will be … eventually.” He lied.

 

“Didn’t your mother teach you never to lie to an Angel?” Niall said, voice suddenly cold, “You can’t keep living in the past.”

 

“THEN WHY DID YOU COME VISIT ME? YOU’RE DRAGGING ME FURTHER AND FURTHER BACK THERE WITH EVERY MINUTE!” Zayn lost it, turning to the blond boy who’s eyes filled with tears.

 

Niall turned away as he cried and Zayn ran around the corner, hugging him and getting a face full of feathers,

 

“I’m sorry,” he said gently, “I shouldn’t have said that.”

 

“No, no,” Niall said, squeezing out of the embrace, “You’re right, I shouldn’t have come.”

 

“No Niall don’t leave. I’ll move on one you leave just stay with me for a bit, please?” Zayn pleaded, eyes going wide with worry that he might vanish again and that he’d ruined his only chance to have his Niall back… even if just for a bit.

 

Niall turned to him, suddenly looking so fragile and breakable as Zayn held him. He kissed his forehead and they rocked back and forth, back and forth until the kettle whistle went off.

 

Zayn slowly detached himself and poured out two cups of steaming tea.

 

“Anything you’d like to do before you have to leave?” Zayn asked softly. Niall just smiled and took the cup of tea before leading them both into the living room. He threw off the clothes that littered the couch and he settled down on his back, adjusting his wings before he carefully put both cups of tea on the table and pulling Zayn down.

 

Zayn lay on Niall’s chest, drinking in the same peppermint and vanilla smell that he’d been doing for months before Niall had died and watched as he aimlessly flickered through different channels. They lay like that, Niall running his hands through Zayn’s silky soft and un-styled hair while Zayn listened to his heart beat reminding himself that the Niall that lay beneath him was _real_ and it wasn’t one of the dreams he’d been having for months.

 

“I miss you,” Zayn said, looking up at Niall who smiled at him. He leaned down and pecked his lips.

 

“I miss you too. You don’t know the pain I feel when I watch you from above. I’d give anything to be back with you guys.”

 

“You watch us?” Zayn said, surprised. He thought that Niall would be looking after his family. Niall’s grin grew and he nodded,

 

“I spend half my day with you guys and half the day with my family.” He paused, “Go see my ma, yeah? She’s ... I’m worried about her.”

 

“Course,” he said, “We’ll invite her down to the next show or something.”

 

“No, can you go up to Mullingar? Take the boys if you have too but please, go for me.”

 

“I will,” He said, “I will, I love Maura.”

 

Maura was the most supportive when Zayn and Niall came out to their families. It took Zayn’s mom and dad some time but they eventually came around but Maura had been rooting for it from the beginning. She’d call them up every evening, wanting to talk to both of them and gushing about their dates to everyone who’d listen. She cared for Zayn like he was her own and he adored her for that.

 

“She loves you too.” He said, catching Zayn in a quick kiss. “Will you give the boys messages from me?”

 

“Yes, love, what?” Zayn reached over and got a pen and paper and handing it to Niall. He scribbled something down for each of them before returning it to the coffee table.

 

“You can look if you want, it’s nothing private.”

 

“That’s okay,” Zayn said, “It’s between you, Louis, Harry and Liam. None of my business.”

 

They sat in silence, enjoying each other companies. This is how it had always been between the two, simple, easy, beautiful.

 

“Can… I draw you?” Zayn asked shyly. Niall’s beamed at the other boy and nodded,

 

“You have ten minutes, Malik.”

  
Zayn ran to his bedroom, throwing everything up into the air, finding his sketchbook and some pencils. He ran back to the living room and sat in between Niall’s long, skinny legs as he flipped open the book.

 

He carefully drew Niall’s face, remembering to add detail later before he moved onto his shoulders and captured his wings. He was going to turn this into a massive painting but first he needed Niall before he disappeared.

 

“Two minutes,” Niall whispered, still beaming at Zayn.

 

Their eyes connected for a second, all the love, passion, hurt, sadness and sorrow collided into one and Zayn leaned forward, nipping at Niall’s lips before bringing him up, forgetting about the book as it slid to the ground. He held him close to him as he started to fade away, still kissing him.

 

Then, there was a burst of light and Niall was gone.

 

The boys found Zayn the next morning, sitting in one corner of the couch, staring at where Niall had been just a few hours earlier. They cleared away the mess that surrounded Zayn as he was unresponsive and not moving. He didn’t even blink (when they were looking anyways). If they couldn’t see the movement of his chest, they would’ve thought he was dead.

 

When Harry was clearing the two cups of tea (odd, they hadn’t been drunk and why was there two?) he saw the notes. They were in Niall’s handwriting, something that no one could replicate… ever. His handwriting was loopy and messy and most of the time hard to follow but after years and years with Niall you learn to speak Niall and read Niall.  

 

He picked up the one addressed to him and sat down, forgetting the cups and reading the note.

 

_Dear Harry,_

_Heaven works in strange ways and somehow, I was able to come down here. I did want to see you, I did, I really did but… Zayn._

_Anyways, I’ve been watching over you and your curls… maybe it’s because I’m watching from afar that I see things more clearly or maybe I’ve had my head in the clouds for so long but if you love Louis, tell him. Stop wasting time because one day you’ll run out and then you’ll be left regretting. And it kills me to see you so broken every day. Makes me weep._

_Love you,_

_Nialler._

Harry’s fist clenched around the note as he fought back tears. He didn’t know if this was some sick prank, and someone had done it to Zayn that’s why his like this or because it was real. It was all so far fetched but that was Niall. He wasn’t… real he was just Niall.

 

Louis looked at Harry, wondering why he was sitting on the ground, pale faced and clutching a note. He walked over when he saw one with his own name on it. He picked it up and read it, wondering what it said.

 

_Dear Louis,_

_It’s me, Nialler! It’s a pretty wild story, you can ask Harry or Zayn to explain it to you but before I leave to go back up to Heaven, I just wanted to tell you to pull your head out of your magnificent ass and tell Harry you love him. The clock’s ticking Lou, make the most of it._

_Love you always,_

_Nialler._

Louis was shaking as he looked at Harry. Their eyes met and Harry stood up before Louis tugged him by the collar and kissed him. Harry melted into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Louis, holding him tight.

 

Zayn saw his friends embrace, turning and smiling at them when they broke apart.

 

Liam walked into the room, smiling at the site of the three of them before Zayn handed Liam the note that Niall had left for him.

 

_Dear Lemo,_

_Ask Harry or Zayn to explain but this is me, Niall writing to you one last time. I know you’ve been carrying a ring around for a long time and let me tell you, you have nothing to be scared of. Danielle loves you with all her heart, there’s no way she’s going to say no._

_Save a spot for me at the alter, yeah?_

_Love you,_

_Nialler_

“W-what?” Liam asked looking around confused.

 

“He could only stay an hour,” Zayn finally said, “He left about five hours ago.” He looked down.

 

The boys all crowded onto the couch, “He wants us to go visit Maura… but I don’t know what to say to her.”

 

“You don’t have to say anything,” Louis said, “And we were missing her motherly presences so we invited her up to stay with us for the break.” He blushed.

 

This wasn’t unusual for the boys to call up different people’s mothers to come visit. Many a time, Liam had dialed Zayn’s mother just for a chat or Zayn had called Jay just to talk. They were one big family, ones mother was everyone’s mother and ones father was everyone’s father. That’s the way it worked. 

 

Maura arrived late at night, knocking lightly on Zayn’s door. He opened it and smiled at her as he scooped her up for a hug.

 

The other boys came and took her bags to a spare (clean room which they’d cleaned out) while Zayn and Maura went to the kitchen.

 

“I’ve missed you,” He said, “I’ve wanted to ring but I just didn’t know what to say.”

 

“Oh love,” She said Irish accent thick as she stroked his face, “That’s alright, I don’t know what to say either.”

 

“I saw him, you know, he appeared like a dream to me.” He said softly, “He told me to move on. And I said I would but I don’t think I can.”

 

“I’m sure he didn’t mean right away,” Maura laughed, “But that’s so like him, still looking upon us even though he’s not here.”

 

Zayn smiled, as she continued, “Eventually, one day, he wants you to fall in love again so that you can be happy.”

 

Niall sat at the counter, smiling as his mother and boyfriend talked. He ran his hand down Zayn’s face and kissing his mother on her cheek but they didn’t know he was there. He walked into the other room and saw Louis and Harry making out on the rug as he watched Liam standing over by the bay window fiddling with the box that held the ring for Danielle. He was on the phone, whispering, making plans and Niall smiled before he felt himself being pulled back up.

 

He sat on his cloud and watched his family and friends carry on with their lives but they never forgot the Irish boy who graced them with his presences all those years ago. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Feedback is always appreciated!


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